


Take These Chances, We'll Make It

by sunshinexbomb



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shop, Fluff, M/M, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-02
Updated: 2013-02-02
Packaged: 2017-11-27 23:29:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/667695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshinexbomb/pseuds/sunshinexbomb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You know, in a lot of cultures they say that rain brings good luck."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Take These Chances, We'll Make It

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written a whole story in a while since I have a very long story in the works. So I decided to take a break from that and write this. I'm sorry about the lack of plot. I still sort of like it.
> 
> I do not own One Direction, and never have and never will. Title is from Paramore's "When It Rains". Unbeta'd so sorry about any mistakes!

Growing up, Zayn never was particularly religious, but if there is a God or something out there, he thanks him every day for making it rain the day he meets Liam Payne.

It’s been raining off and on all day, and Zayn watches the weather outside go from wet to dry in a matter of minutes while he’s working his usual shift at the small on-campus coffee shop. He’s counting down the minutes before he can clock-out and praying to his maybe possibly non-existent God that when he goes out, the current spur of rain will have died down, leaving the air foggy but ultimately dry.

Liam walks – well more like runs – into the coffee shop exactly eight minutes before Zayn’s supposed to clock-out. His short curls are dark and damp and plastered to his forehead and his t-shirt is sticking close to skin. There’s little droplets of water traveling down his face, into his eyes and down his cute nose and Zayn’s pretty sure he’s staring but he just can’t seem to look away.

“Um, can I get you a towel or something, mate?” Zayn finally manages to force out, the words getting sort of stuck in his throat because _wow_ the boy is gorgeous. The fact that he’s all wet and bedraggled looking is not helping. Zayn really wants to just take him back to his flat and do anything he can to warm him up.

“I think I’m good,” Liam replies, shaking his head like a puppy and making droplets of water fly everywhere. “Maybe just something warm to drink? I was planning on sticking around here until the rain lets down a bit.”

Liam bites his lower lip like it’s a nervous habit and looks out the window where the rain only seems to be coming down harder. If Zayn couldn’t look away before, he definitely can’t look away now. Liam’s mouth really is quite pretty. It’s pink and just a little bit chapped and distressed, but his bottom lip is full and soft looking and Zayn really wants to know what it would feel like between his teeth or maybe wrapped around his dick.

And wow. Okay. Where did that come from. Zayn really should not be having these thoughts about a boy he’s just met and knows nothing about. He’s putting it down to the fact that it’s been quite some time since he’s gotten laid and Liam is very attractive and wet and Zayn is only human.

“How about some hot chocolate?” Zayn suggests as Liam looks up at their menu. “I’ll even make it on the house since you look sort of like a drowned puppy, and I would just feel bad charging you.” Zayn smiles and winks to show he’s kidding, and his heart is beating sort of fast because he’s usually not this forward with people he doesn’t know.

Liam laughs and Zayn thinks it’s an adorable laugh because it makes his whole face light up and his eyes crinkle and the whole effect is rather pleasant. “That sounds brilliant.”

Liam introduces himself while Zayn prepares his drink. He explains that when he left for his last lecture of the day, it was perfectly clear outside and when he came out, it was still relatively dry. But then halfway across campus, it started pouring out of nowhere and Liam ducked into the coffee shop just to get somewhere warm and not wet.

Zayn listens attentively and talks to Liam friendly and casually. He’s not sure why, but he feels like he’s known Liam forever even though they just met literally a few minutes ago. Sometime when they’re chatting about their majors (Zayn’s studying education and Liam music tech) Zayn slips Liam a complimentary biscuit and forgets that his shift has technically ended.

It takes just about all of Zayn’s effort not to stare at Liam’s mouth. It really is just perfect looking and Zayn wants to feel it all over his skin. His thoughts of kissing Liam are quite distracting and he almost doesn’t notice when his flatmate Harry walks through the doors, ready to take his shift over for him.

Zayn’s eyes widen and he apologizes profusely to Liam before going to finally clock-out (about twelve minutes late) and get his stuff ready. By the time he returns to the front of the store, the rains let down, Harry is behind the counter, and Liam is gone.

The feeling of disappointment that’s growing in the pit of Zayn’s stomach won’t go away because he really liked Liam and he didn’t even get to get his number or even his last name. He was seriously hoping he could get to know Liam. Or at least get in his pants.

Zayn’s gets a bit pouty until he realizes that Harry’s staring at him with a knowing smirk on his face. Zayn sticks his tongue out at him childishly before promising to see him later back at their flat.

If he goes home and has a quick wank thinking about a wet, attractive boy with pretty pink lips sucking his dick, then nobody really has to be none the wiser.

\--

It turns out that Zayn really has no reason to be disappointed because Liam returns to the coffee shop during his next shift. And the shift after that. And the one after that. Zayn’s not sure if Liam’s somehow learned his whole schedule or if he just comes in every day hoping Zayn will be there, but either way, Zayn doesn’t really mind.

Liam comes alone sometimes, bringing his coursework with him and working studiously by the window. One slow day, Zayn realizes that while Liam works hard, he’s not particularly _intelligent_. His spelling is atrocious and he’s having so much trouble getting through the reading for his Gen-Ed English class that Zayn can’t help but go sit across from him at his usual table and help him work through it all.

(It takes all of Zayn’s effort that day not to lean across the table and kiss Liam every time he furrows his brows or purses his lips in that adorably confused manner.)

Other times, Liam comes with a blond, bouncy ball of Irish energy that Zayn learns later is Liam’s roommate, Niall. Niall spends his time at the coffee shop shooting not-so-furtive looks between Zayn and Liam (complete with winks and waggling eyebrows) and going to flirt with Harry behind the counter and get free pastries from him. Zayn loves the way he can make the usually confident Harry blush and stutter in a manner no one else really can.

Zayn thinks that maybe his feelings for Liam are going beyond an appreciation for his lips and his arms and the little sliver of skin that’s revealed every time Liam stretches and his shirt rides up. The more they talk, the more Zayn realizes just how sweet and kind and adorably dorky Liam is and he finds that along with wanting to push Liam against a wall and furiously attack his mouth and his neck, Zayn really just wants to hold his hand and cuddle up with him at home on his days off.

One day, it’s just Zayn and Liam left in the coffee shop at closing time. Harry’s off working his second job at the local Tesco and Niall’s finishing up a project with his classmate, Louis. Liam’s excitedly telling Zayn about the good grade he got on his English paper (“Thank you so _so_ much for your help, Zayn. It’s seriously the best grade I’ve ever gotten on a paper.”) while Zayn cleans up behind the counter. Zayn’s not really listening to what Liam’s saying, just watching the way his face is lighting up with pride and trying to ignore the way he’s licking his lips out of habit.

“Zayn, are you even listening to me?”

Zayn’s pretty sure he’s been cleaning the same spot on the counter for about three minutes because he’s just staring at the way Liam’s mouth moves when he talks. He shakes head to clear his thoughts a bit and says, “Yeah, no, sorry, must have zoned off there. What did you say?”

Liam giggles (actually _giggles_ and Jesus, how is this guy even real?) and rolls his eyes. “I was just asking if you’re almost done here? I could walk you back to your flat if you want. Harry mentioned it’s not that far off campus?”

“Yeah, just about finished. Let me just go clock-out,” Zayn says, deeming the counter clean enough.

“I’ll be waiting,” Liam grins.

Zayn slips out of his apron and clocks-out, a huge smile on his face. Liam’s never offered to walk him home before, and he’s thinking that this turn in events is taking their relationship in the right direction. Zayn’s terrible at picking up at when people are interested in him, but between the looks Niall and Harry and even Louis, who he’s only met a handful of times, give him and the way Liam has been here practically every day Zayn’s had work, he’s pretty sure about things this time.

When Zayn returns to the front of the store, Liam’s leaning against the door, checking his phone, but he puts it away as soon as he sees Zayn. “Ready?” he asks with a soft smile.

Zayn nods and turns off the lights of the store, locking up the door behind him when he steps out.

The night air’s a bit cold and crisp and Zayn wraps his jacket around him tighter. Liam’s got a scarf wrapped around his neck and Zayn really just wants to tug at the ends, pulling him in to feel his soft warm mouth against his own. He refrains himself though, and contents himself with just occasionally bumping shoulders with Liam and brushing hands as they walk together.

There’s a comfortable silence settling between the two as they walk, which honestly suits Zayn just fine. He likes that he doesn’t always have to make meaningless chatter when he’s with Liam.

“Weird that we’ve never really hung out outside of the coffee shop, huh?” Liam asks after they’ve walked off campus, bumping his shoulders against Zayn’s purposely.

“Yeah,” Zayn smiles, looking down at his shoes. He’s not sure why, but he suddenly feels sort of shy and nervous. It’s different being with Liam outside of the coffee shop. It’s not _bad_ , just different.

“We should go out,” Liam says casually

Zayn’s heart stutters a bit at his words and he looks at Liam with an eyebrow raised. Liam blushes once he realizes what he said and stutters out, “Uh, I mean, you know. All of us. You, me, Harry, Niall. We could even invite Lou. Make a day out if it.”

“That sounds like it’d be great,” Zayn answers, bumping Liam’s shoulder back with a grin. He tries not to let the disappointment rising in the pit of his stomach swell over too much. Maybe he wasn’t so right about Liam’s feelings after all.

They walk a little bit longer, discussing where they could all go and wondering if there was any way to finally get Niall and Harry together while they were there. It’s obvious that Niall’s completely smitten with Harry. Liam says he’s even taken to making impromptu visits to Tesco just to find excuses to see him.

“My flats just around the corner over there,” Zayn says after a while, pointing ahead of him.

“You actually don’t live that far from me and Niall. We live just a few blocks down from here,” Liam says.

“Isn’t that convenient? It’s almost like we’re neighbors,” Zayn jokes, making Liam laugh softly. “Well, this is me.” Zayn adds, stopping in front of his building.

“Right,” says Liam. He’s biting down on his lower lip, a habit Zayn’s come to realize he only does when he’s particularly nervous or when he’s thinking hard about something. “Listen, uh, Zayn, I was thinking. About what I said earlier. We _could_ go out, you know. Just the two of us. If you wanted to that is. If you don’t that’s totally fine but –“

“I would like that,” Zayn beams, cutting off Liam’s nervous rambling. He’s pretty sure it’s unnatural how hard his heart is beating right now, but he doesn’t exactly seem to mind.

“Oh, okay. I mean. Wait. What. Really?”

Zayn’s not much for taking chances, but he decides he wants to take one just then. He grabs onto the end of Liam’s scarf, tugging him in just like he’s been wanting to the whole night. Their lips meet together, Liam’s mouth just as soft and warm as Zayn’s always imagined it being. Liam makes a surprised noise at the back of his throat but pulls Zayn in closer, kissing back eagerly. The kiss is soft and sweet and gentle and maybe Zayn doesn’t get to sink his teeth into Liam’s bottom lip like he’s always wanted to, but it’s still absolutely perfect.

They pull apart, both of them a bit breathless.

“Yeah, really. I’d like that a lot,” Zayn finally manages to breathe out, and he definitely doesn’t miss the huge smile that spreads across Liam’s face before he leans down to kiss him again.

\--

Zayn’s pretty sure he’s even more in love with Liam’s mouth now that he gets to feel it on his skin all the time. It takes just about all of Zayn’s self-control not to lean over and kiss Liam senseless every time he walks into the coffee shop, but it’s okay because he knows he can do just that as soon as he’s off the clock and the both of them walk back to Zayn’s flat together.

Zayn loves the way Liam’s lips are always soft and pliant under his own and the way his tongue licks around the inside of his mouth whenever it can. He especially loves the way Liam’s gained an affinity for marking up his skin, leaving extremely visible bruises on his neck and collarbone and hips and anywhere really that he can set his mouth to. Zayn always make sure to return the favor, biting and sucking on the skin right next to Liam’s birthmark or the sharp angle of his jaw.

There’s a spot on Zayn’s shoulder that he’s pretty sure will never turn back to its original color because every time the bruise begins to fade, Liam’s sinking his teeth back into, making it flame up again. Zayn always moans as Liam’s mouth touches the skin there, but he never pushes him away. He likes having that mark on him because it’s a constant reminder that he’s Liam’s now and Liam is his and that no one is else is allowed to touch. It’s territorial and possessive and Zayn loves everything about it.

\--

On Zayn’s day off one Saturday, he and Liam decide to stay in at Liam’s flat. They’re sitting on the couch, books and papers spread across the coffee table and the small space between them. Liam suggested that they finally study, which Zayn only reluctantly agrees to.

Zayn’s flipping idly through his worn copy of _A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man_ , but he’s not really paying attention to the text. He keeps getting distracted by Liam on the other side of the couch, his mouth wrapped almost obscenely around a lollipop (Niall had bought a giant bag of them at Tesco the other night, using the purchase as an excuse to go see Harry. Liam’s not much of a fan of sweets but he admitted guiltily to Zayn that he’s got a soft spot for suckers and he’d gone through a quarter of the bag already). Zayn can clearly see the indent of sweet in the side of Liam’s mouth and his jeans are getting a little tight imagining what it would be like to run a finger against Liam’s cheeks and feel the shape of his own cock there.

Liam’s totally engrossed in an assignment for his music theory class, and doesn’t seem to notice the way Zayn keeps staring at him. He pops the sweet out of his mouth with a loud pop and Zayn tries to control the groan rising in the back of his throat. Liam’s mouth is stained cherry red and Zayn doesn’t even _like_ cherry but he still wants to lick the taste out of Liam’s mouth.

“Ugh, no, okay. I can’t take this anymore,” Zayn groans, putting his book down.

Liam turns towards him confused, the sweet sticking out his mouth. “What are you talking about?”

Zayn leans forward, pulling the lollipop out of Liam’s mouth and getting up to throw it away.

“Hey, I wasn’t done with that,” Liam complains, pouting at Zayn.

“Don’t care. I’m just about done with you,” Zayn says, coming back and sitting in Liam’s lap, straddling him on the couch and pressing their mouths together.

Zayn fists his hands into the front of Liam’s shirt, prying his lips open with his tongue and finally getting a taste of the sweetness in his mouth. Liam makes a little surprised noise into Zayn’s mouth but kisses back with just as much fervor, sucking on Zayn’s tongue when it enters his mouth.

“I feel like you were teasing me with that fucking sucker,” Zayn says as Liam detaches their lips and starts to leave a trail of kisses down Zayn’s neck. “All I could think about was what it would feel like with your mouth on my cock.”

Liam moans against his skin, his hips bucking slightly into Zayn’s. “Jesus, Zayn. You can’t just say stuff like that.”

“Well maybe if you weren’t being such a fucking tease –“ Zayn cuts off with a yelp as Liam shifts, reversing their positions so Zayn’s the one sitting on the couch, and crawling on top of him, slotting their mouths together again.

“Not being a tease,” Liam says against Zayn’s mouth, his hands trailing down to unbutton his jeans. “I can be if you want though.”

“No, that’s okay,” Zayn gasps as he kicks off his jeans and Liam moves down onto his knees to mouth at the cotton of his briefs. His dick is achingly hard at this point and it feels so _good_ to have Liam’s mouth against him like this but it’s not nearly enough. “Liam, come on. If you make me come in my pants I’m gonna kill you.”

Liam laughs, but listens to Zayn, pulling down his briefs in a swift motion. Zayn’s cock is hard and leaking where it’s resting against his stomach, but Liam ignores it, instead biting a new mark into the soft skin of Zayn’s thighs.

“ _Liam_.”

Another laugh escapes Liam’s lips as he takes Zayn in his hand and starts stroking him slowly. Zayn’s about to complain again but then Liam’s licking a thick stripe up the underside of cock and taking his whole length into his mouth in one go.

Zayn lets out a deep moan, wrapping his fingers in Liam’s hair as Liam bobs his head. Looking down at Liam, seeing lust-filled brown eyes staring up at him and pretty pink lips stretched tight around his cock, Zayn’s pretty sure his brain is going to short-circuit. Liam sucks a little harder, his cheeks hollowing obscenely, and Zayn can’t really help the way his hips buck up causing his cock to hit the back of Liam’s throat.

“Shit. Sorry, Li,” Zayn chokes out but Liam’s making a pleased noise that sends vibrations around his cock. “Fuck, did you like that, Li?”

Liam makes the same noise as before, his hands trailing down to unbutton his own jeans and take his hard dick into his hands.

“Fuck. What else do you like? What if I fucked your mouth one day, Liam? Left your throat so sore you couldn’t speak the next day. Would you like that?” Zayn gasps as Liam makes a distressed and pleading noise in the back of his throat. Zayn can just make out the way Liam’s fisting fast and hard at his own cock and it makes his hips buck again.

Zayn’s really close, and the thought of fucking Liam’s mouth does not help at all. He’s about to warn Liam but then he’s falling over the edge with a loud moan, spilling into Liam’s mouth. Liam sucks him through it, swallowing him dry and then detaching himself with the same pop that he made with the lollipop earlier.

Liam buries his face in the inside of Zayn’s thigh, breath ragged, and a few more strokes of his cock and he’s coming too, spilling over his hand and onto his shirt. He stays there for a little bit, still breathing heavily into Zayn’s skin until Zayn’s tugging gently at his hair, pulling his up and putting their mouths together.

Zayn can still the taste the sweetness of Liam’s candy, but it’s hidden under the taste of his own come and a taste that is just purely Liam and fuck that is just really hot.

When they part, Liam puts his forehead against Zayn’s, giggling softly. “We should get cleaned up. I don’t think Niall’s gonna be happy if he comes home and finds out we’ve been fucking on the couch.”

Zayn’s about to agree but instead leans forward and suddenly his lips are on Liam’s again. He digs his teeth into them, sucking on Liam’s full bottom lip and making him groan against Zayn’s mouth. Screw Niall.

\--

It’s raining again one day when Zayn finds Liam and himself back at the coffee shop. He’s not working that day, but Harry is, and he’s having way too much fun giving Harry ridiculous drink orders and the complaining loudly that he hasn’t made them right (or he is until Harry “accidentally” upends a drink onto his shirt making Zayn pout for the rest of the day).

The two of them are cuddled up on the couch, watching the rain fall outside and occasionally whispering into each other’s ears and sharing small kisses (“You guys are disgusting,” Harry says with a fond smile when he passes by them to clean up a table that a group of English majors had been occupying. Liam smiles against Zayn’s skin and Zayn gives Harry the bird, making him bark out a loud laugh). Zayn doesn’t remember the last time he’s felt so happy and warm and just complete.

The little above the door tinkles and Zayn looks up from where he was snuggling into the crook of Liam’s neck to see Niall walk in, soaked to the bone.

“Niall!” Harry exclaims, and Zayn thinks he should be glad there aren’t many customers in the store and absolutely none in line. “Oh my God, what happened. Are you okay? Do you want me to get you a towel?”

“It’s raining,” is all Niall says, shaking his head.

“Yeah it is, you idiot,” Harry smiles, grabbing a towel from under the counter and bringing it to Niall.

“Well, doesn’t this seem familiar,” Liam whispers into Zayn’s ear, making him laugh.

“You know, in a lot of cultures they say that rain brings good luck,” Zayn says, looking up at Liam smiling very softly.

Liam’s watching as Harry wraps the towel around Niall, trying to dry his blond hair as he squawks in protest. He settles with just wrapping the towel around his shoulders and rubbing his arms, trying to bring warmth back into them. “Do you believe in that?”

“I sort of have to don’t I?”

“And why is that?” Liam asks, tearing his eyes away from Niall and Harry to look down at Zayn curiously.

“Well the rain brought me you. That has to be the luckiest thing that’s ever happened to me,” Zayn beams, grabbing one of Liam’s hands and tangling their fingers together.

Liam groans, but he squeezes Zayn’s hand and places a soft kiss to Zayn’s lips. “Zayn Malik, that has to be the corniest thing you’ve ever said.”

Zayn laughs as he pulls Liam back so their mouths are slotted together again. He doesn’t care if it’s corny; he refuses to believe it’s anything but true.


End file.
